The Queen’s Suite

$60.00–$110.00

The Palace in Balchik! It is located in Europe, in a small Balkan country, called Bulgaria, on the Black Sea coast. A unique place, created by a unique woman. A (Romanian) Queen of the 19th century who as if with a magic wand had mixed up the East and the West in her blood, together with the belief that religions of all times could be reconciled in the Baha’i’s teachings, who saturated the buildings of that palace residence with love and a longing for beauty. Fabulous, well kept large garden on the beach full of beauty and symbols.

Fascinated I moved into a studio near the palace (now made public) overlooking the sea and just started painting.

This is the house The Quiet Nest, built in elegant Balkan style and incorporating two architectural elements of the two monotheistic religions of the region – the dome and the minaret. This is the main building in the whole complex. In the foreground, there is a throne, brought from Florence, and a capital of a Doric column, both waiting for their Queen. Some of the Queen’s courtiers, otherwise completely insignificant characters, are also waiting around. On the stonewall there is a statue of Virgin Mary with a ship in her lap and eyes turned on the sea. Symbol of the eternal desire to travel. On one of our first dates, my Muse gave me as a gift a cheap model of a three-mast frigate, made in China. Well, these are the times we all live in. However, the desire to travel is still here.